The present invention relates generally to optoelectronic assemblies having optical elements and methods for making the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an assembly having optical elements mounted on a plurality of flexures and methods for making the same.
Sealed packages are used to contain, protect, and couple to optical fibers and electrically connect optoelectronic components. Optoelectronics packaging is one of the most difficult and costly operations in optoelectronics manufacturing. Optoelectronic packages may provide submicron alignment between optical elements, high-speed electrical connections, excellent heat dissipation, and high-reliability.
Providing such features has resulted in optoelectronic packages that are an order of magnitude larger, costlier and more difficult to manufacture than electronic packages, particularly for fiber coupled devices. In addition, current designs of optoelectronic packages and associated fabrication processes are ill adapted for automation because today""s high-performance butterfly packages are characterized by a large multiplicity of mechanical parts (such as submounts, brackets, ferrules), three-dimensional alignment requirements, and poor mechanical accessibility.